My article this week will be devoted to two important Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation momentous events.

The first is the landmarking of our beautiful Forest Park Carousel. Many, many years ago, I named our beloved carousel “The Jewel of Forest Park” because of the unique, priceless beauty of this one-of-a-kind Daniel Mueller-carved carousel.

As I have written in my past articles, and especially last year, when after being closed for years that “it is wonderful that our Jewel in Forest Park, our Forest Park Carousel, will open on Memorial Day.” It is so frustrating that every few years, we have to again save our carousel.

I remember many years ago, then-Assemblyman Frederick A. Schmidt, State Senator Serphin R. Maltese, and councilmen Arthur Katzman and Walter Ward along with community representatives together found a wonderful concessionaire to reopen the carousel. This after many years of being closed, neglected and the object of vandalism and attempted arson.

This concessionaire repaired the calliope, renovated the carousel, added rides for the children and made it a true showplace in our Forest Park. After that, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation started and continued our quest for landmarking, so that our carousel would never be closed and neglected again.

The landmarking is so important so funds can be accessed for the maintenance, security and loving care of this jewel. With this protection our carousel will be saved once and for all.

Finally, after heading all of our Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation wish lists through the years with voluminous files of letters and information from our office to the Landmarking Preservation Commission, the landmarking of the carousel is now within sight.

For the first time after years of inertia, last month our landmarking request championed by Honorable Elizabeth Crowley was calendared for consideration. Now I have been advised on Tuesday, June 11, there will be a hearing, where the Landmarks Preservation Commission will accept testimony.

This will be for the acquisition of landmark status for our carousel. So now, I am asking for your assistance. We need for you to send emails, letters or postcards stating that you support the landmarking of our Forest Park Carousel. The email addresses to use are send Rtierney@lpc.nyc.gov, Comments@lpc.nyc.gov, Mbetts@lpc.nyc.gov, and ecrowley@council.nyc.gov.

Please show your support for the landmarking of our Jewel of Forest Park. It is time, and with your help it will happen in 2013.

Last call for the social event of the year, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation Dinner Dance. This is the reason that every year the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation sponsors our Annual Spring Anniversary Dinner Dance. At these dinner dances we honor great elected officials, store and business owners, and contributors to our community.

This year, the theme of the dinner dance, now in its 34th year, is “Happiness is Spring,” so named because of the warmth of spring that everyone enjoys at the end of winter. Our honorees for 2013, as I stated before, being so important to our Woodhaven have led very interesting lives. So now to our big reveal. Drumroll please.

Our honorees are “Woman of the Year 2013” is Melva Miller, director of Economic Development for Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. Miller is a consummate professional. She has been so supportive of our Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation and our Woodhaven Business Improvement District’s stores and businesses and given us good advise and counsel.

Our Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation “Man of the Year 2013” is Stephen R. Esposito, president of the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation. Steve is a Woodhaven boy, having been raised in Woodhaven where his family still resides. He has been devoted to the service of Woodhaven, giving many hours of his time, efforts and guidance to our organization.

Our Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation “Business Owner of the Year 2013” is John R. Patel, owner of the Haven Card Shop. (Hallmark) John has been on our Woodhaven’s Jamaica Avenue for over 25 years. This store is a real family store with his wife and immediate family, along with his Woodhaven “family” members, extending courteous pleasant service to all that shop in his beautiful store.

Our Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation “Business of the Year 2013” is Woodhaven’s Scaturro’s Food Market. All of our residents consider Scaturro’s our own. Scaturro’s has been a mainstay on our Jamaica Avenue, being one of the oldest stores in Woodhaven. This family-owned business and their employees (remember George?) have assisted our old, young, longtime and new residents with attentive courtesy through the years.

Our “Special Recognition Award 2013” goes to Dr. Paul D. Fish, veterinarian and owner of the Animal Clinic of Woodhaven. Dr. Fish came to Woodhaven over 25 years ago, making a substantial investment in a large property in Woodhaven. The clinic became an anchor to our avenue and still remains one today. Since Woodhaven loves their pets, a veterinarian was a welcome addition to our community. Dr. Fish has been very benevolent, treating rescue animals and strays from Woodhaven streets. These, our 2013 honorees, because of their ambition and hard work epitomize American success stories right here in our little Woodhaven. So mark your calendar for Friday, June 7, for the social event of the year, the Greater Woodhaven Development Corporation’s “Happiness is Spring” 34th Anniversary Dinner Dance.

This year it will be held at the beautiful Woodhaven Manor Caterers (formerly Cordon Bleu), newly renovated and under new management at 96-01 Jamaica Avenue. In line with the theme, ladies are encouraged to wear warm spring colors. The music will be by the hot disc jockey “Superior Sound Entertainment.” They will be playing all types of dance music including our favorite doo-wop tunes.

The tickets for the event are priced at only $65 for a wonderful evening of good food, good music and good company. Please call (718) 805-0202 for reservations and ticket purchases. Attend and enjoy!

Make sure we continue to fly our American flags, above all others and also wear your flag lapel pins. May God bless our leaders, may God bless our armed forces and our disabled veterans, and may God bless our America.